Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneWorn Again designer Leigh Reveley created this evening gown from a bag full of cast-off fabrics and discarded garments. The applique was inspired by a John James Audubon print of a Louisiana Heron.

Leigh Reveley is a professional textile conservator. Rotten lace and moldy cotton are her forte.

Electric blue polyester, on the other hand, presents something of a challenge.

Reveley is one of 29 designers participating in Worn Again NOLA 3, a recycled fashion competition that invites designers to create new clothing from a hodgepodge of castoff fabrics and discarded garments.

Think of it as "Project Runway" with less time constraint and fewer temper tantrums.

Of the 52 designs entered into the competition, 33 were selected by the Worn Again jury for tonight's fashion show at The Howlin' Wolf nightclub downtown. The event, to inspire creative reuse of old materials, benefits Recycle for the Arts.

For the first time, the challenge has a competitive entry system, raising the bar on what will be seen on the catwalk.

In past years, Worn Again's runway has been filled as much with wild costumes as would-be couture.

That's changed. "This year, Worn Again was set up with more at stake. We had designers submit a portfolio and a resume, and we have two categories, professionals and amateurs," said Elizabeth Underwood, Recycle for the Arts program director. "We wanted to raise the bar, and the designers really rose to the challenge and took it very seriously."

Worn Again NOLA 3

What: A fashion show to benefit Recycle for the Arts featuring creative garments made from cast-off materials.

When: Tonight, Saturday, July 18, doors open at 8 p.m. with show starting about 8:45 p.m.

Where: The Howlin' Wolf, 907 S. Peters St., 504.522.9653.

Tickets: $15 at the door or online at thehowlinwolf.com.

So don't expect a gas mask to ornament an ensemble or a hobby horse head to protrude from a tutu as in past Worn Again shows. This year, the focus is on more wearable garb, creatively recast from the most atrocious scraps.

"When I looked at the donations of old clothes, I thought 'What would happen to this mountain of lifeless dead stuff if we weren't doing this?'¤" Underwood said. "It would be headed to a landfill."

Reveley's collection of castoffs included a moldy green lace jacket, an electric blue polyester duster, an old pleated skirt, random other garments as well as a "rotten curtain that was fairly craptastic," she said.

From this less than soignee pile of possibility, she created a red-carpet-worthy evening gown that belies its humble origins. The bias cut dress is embellished with a large appliqued bird.

The idea came from the lace jacket. "It had a floral pattern that I thought looked sort of like feathers," she said. A John James Audubon print of a Louisiana heron provided inspiration.

Michael DeMocker / The Times-PicayuneWorn Again designer Leigh Reveley with her creation.

"I dyed the lace and then used it as an applique on the dress. The actual majority of the garment was made from the old wool skirt," she said. "I didn't want to use wool as the base, but that's what I had with the most yardage, and I didn't want to take any chances with the rotten materials. I couldn't risk the model walking down the runway and going rip.

"The lace was probably from the 1950s. It was green but had bleach marks all over it, and it was so rotten, you could pull it apart with a needle."

Reveley's experience in textile restoration and conservation gave her an edge. "Using old materials is right up my alley," she said.

New Orleans has a small indie design scene, and events like Worn Again may bolster it.